Original Word: בַּעַל חֶרְמוֹן
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Ba`al Chermown
Pronunciation: bah-ahl kher-mohn
Phonetic Spelling: (bah'-al kher-mone')
KJV: Baal-hermon
NASB: Baal-hermon
Word Origin: [from H1167 (בַּעַל - owner) and H2768 (חֶרמוֹן - Hermon)]

1. possessor of Hermon
2. Baal-Chermon, a place in Israel

Baal-hermon

From ba'al and Chermown; possessor of Hermon; Baal-Chermon, a place in Palestine -- Baal-hermon.

see HEBREW ba'al

see HEBREW Chermown

Word Origin
from Baal and Chermon
Definition
"Baal of Hermon," the center of Baal worship on Mt. Hermon
NASB Translation
Baal-hermon (2).

בַּ֫עַל חֶרְמוֺן proper name, of a location Judges 3:3; 1 Chronicles 5:23, a city so named as seat of the worship of Baal. 'The crest of Hermon is strewn with ruins and the foundations of a circular temple of large hewn stones,' Tristr^Tpg, compare on sacredness, Euseb. Lag^{Onom 217: possibly} = בעל גד q. v.

Geographical setting

Baal Hermon designates a locality within the Mount Hermon massif at the northern edge of biblical Israel, where the Anti-Lebanon range reaches its highest point. The term embraces both the prominent summit and the neighboring settlements that shared in the worship customary to Canaanite high places. Situated on the border between the land later allotted to the tribe of Manasseh and the territory of the Hivites, Baal Hermon occupied strategic ground commanding the main north–south routes between Syria (Aram) and the Upper Jordan Valley. Snow-fed springs from Hermon formed the sources of the Jordan River, giving the area agricultural richness that attracted inhabitants from earliest times.

Biblical occurrences

1. Judges 3:3 places “the Hivites living on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo-hamath” among the nations the LORD left “to test Israel.”
2. 1 Chronicles 5:23 records that the half-tribe of Manasseh “multiplied… from Bashan to Baal Hermon, that is, Senir and Mount Hermon.”

Historical context

During the Conquest, Israel did not fully dislodge the native populations of the Hermon region. The Hivites retained enclaves around Baal Hermon, preserving Baalistic cults that centered on weather and fertility rites associated with high elevations. Judges notes that their presence served God’s purpose of testing a generation of Israelites inexperienced in war, keeping alive the call to covenant fidelity. Centuries later, by the time of the united monarchy, Manassehite clans had expanded northward to occupy the same zone, illustrating God’s ongoing faithfulness to the territorial promises first given through Moses (Joshua 13:29-31).

Theological significance

1. God’s sovereignty in testing: Judges 3:3-4 underscores that the remaining Canaanite pockets, including Baal Hermon, existed by divine design: “to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites” and to determine whether they would obey His commands.
2. Covenant boundaries: Baal Hermon marks a northern limit of the land actually possessed, highlighting both the extent of divine promise and Israel’s partial obedience. The Chronicles notice shows God’s enlargement of Israel’s borders when His people walked in faith.
3. Contrast of worship: The designation “Baal Hermon” reminds readers of the rivalry between the surrounding Baal cults and the exclusive worship demanded by Yahweh. The prominence of Baal names in the geography functions as a warning against syncretism, a theme that threads through Judges and the prophetic books.

Archaeological and extra-biblical insights

Shrines and cult installations uncovered on Hermon’s slopes reveal long-standing veneration of a weather-god linked to storm and dew—fitting, given Hermon’s snowcap and the life-giving waters that flow southward. Classical sources such as Eusebius’ Onomasticon, which equates Baal Hermon with the later Paneas (Banias), confirm ongoing religious significance through Greco-Roman times. These findings illuminate the persistent allure of the site yet also highlight the Bible’s counter-cultural witness to the one true God.

Ministry applications

• Spiritual vigilance: Like Israel beside Baal Hermon, believers today inhabit cultures saturated with alternative loyalties. The enduring presence of rival altars calls for wholehearted devotion to Christ (2 Corinthians 6:16).
• Boundaries and mission: Chronicles shows God’s people advancing to Baal Hermon when strong in faith. Churches likewise expand gospel influence when walking in obedience to Scripture and reliance on divine power (Acts 1:8).
• Discipleship through testing: The LORD used Baal Hermon to train Israel; trials still serve His sanctifying purposes (James 1:2-4).

Related references

Deuteronomy 3:8-10; Joshua 11:17; Psalm 133:3; Song of Solomon 4:8; Matthew 17:1-2 (traditional identification of the Mount of Transfiguration with Hermon).

חֶרְמ֔וֹן חֶרְמ֛וֹן חרמון cherMon ḥer·mō·wn ḥermōwnInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts